The other drove 876km from Sydney in his Mitsubishi Lancer to have one last shot at the big time.

Meet Jaiman Lowe and Bryan Norrie, the Storm's cut-price quiet achievers who are poster boys for the team's remarkable regeneration in the wake of the salary cap scandal of 2010.

While Melbourne tonight will pin their title hopes on skipper Cameron Smith, fullback Billy Slater and half Cooper Cronk, the big-name triumvirate are the first to admit that without their no-nonsense pack, headlined by Norrie and Lowe, the Storm juggernaut does not get out of first gear.

But what you can't measure is their character - the quality around which coach Craig Bellamy has built his latest grand final team.

Take Lowe for example. Two years ago, the 29-year-old worked in a Cairns bar, the former Cowboys young gun convinced his NRL days were shot after the global financial crisis, of all things, scuppered a British Super League deal.

Bromwich only landed a contract after walking off the streets to train with his brother in the Storm's under-20s outfit.

Fa'aoso's story is similarly staggering. Told by Wayne Bennett he was surplus at the Knights, he was picked up mid-season by Melbourne, adding to a career that since 2004 had taken the prop from Penrith to the Roosters, Castleford, Parramatta and Newcastle.

Next year, he is joining Manly.

Norrie, released by the Sharks at the end of 2009, had already accepted his dream was over and returned to play bush football as captain-coach of the Wagga Wagga Kangaroos.

Now here they are, living the biggest day of their footballing lives.

Bryan NorrieSource:The Daily Telegraph

Norrie has played 69 games for the Storm, Lowe 37. Together, they are within 80 minutes of an unthinkable NRL premiership ring.

"My wife got pretty emotional after the game last week," says Lowe, the former Cowboys and Souths tough guy who will retire after his 142nd NRL game tonight.

"She has been on the roller-coaster with me ... I'm glad it's all worth it.

"I am so glad the Storm gave me an opportunity to come down here and finish my career the way I wanted to finish it.

"When I was working behind the bar in Cairns, I used to watch Friday night football on the big screen and serve beers and I'd think, 'That's it, it's all over for me'.

"At the end of the Souths contract, I had to decide whether to go to work in the mines or join Melbourne and I thought I'd give it one last crack.

"A lot of great players never play a grand final so this is it for me. I'm retiring after this so I'm going to leave nothing in the tank."

Before Melbourne, Norrie had played only 60 games over five seasons at the Dragons, Penrith and Cronulla.

The qualified electrician never quite found the spark, never playing more than 16 games in a season.

Then Bellamy took hold of him. First, he got Norrie fit.

Second, he gave him a simple brief: use your size, truck it up and let the big three do the rest.

As a result, Norrie has barely missed a match, playing more than 20 games yearly for three consecutive seasons.

"I wouldn't swap any of my teammates for another player," says Smith of the squad's unsung heroes.

"There's a lot of great players who make up this team.

"Those blokes (Norrie and Lowe) in particular have done a great job, especially when we weren't going so well.''

So what's the secret?

"There's no real secret, it's just hard work,'' Smith says.

"Craig makes it so simple for everyone, a game plan that's not too complicated, especially for the boys in the middle.

"It's not hard mentally.

"Physically it's one of the toughest jobs to do but they're given a simple job and they get it done.''

Norrie, 28, rolls his eyes in disbelief at his journey from Wagga to the NRL grand final.

"I thought it was a long shot a few years ago but now it's here I will just lap it up,'' he said. "After Cronulla, my career looked like it was over, but I got a lifeline from Craig and I've loved every minute of it.

"I'd probably be an electrician otherwise, just doing my trade.

"I was actually looking to going back on the tools but I still had the fire in the belly.

"Deep down I felt I had a bit to offer and I can't thank the club enough for giving me a go.''

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